Why do people say "I just have a quick question"?
There has never been a speed factor in questions! It's just a common and polite way of trying to excuse ourselves from the intrusion of asking the other person! It's nothing more than that. It's not literal.
Is your name in a song? How come? What's that like?
The diminutive form of my name in Russian is Katyusha (Катюша), so I’ve always identified myself with the song with that name.It’s a Russian song about a young woman who sits by the river and sends her song to her beloved one who is fighting for their country far away.(Against my country, perhaps, but let’s not get stuck with that.)“Apples and pears were blossoming Mist on the river floating On the bank Katyusha stepped out On the high steep bank Stepped out, started a song About one grey steppe eagle About her loved one Whose letters she cherished Oh song, maiden's song Fly towards the clear sun And to the warrior on a far away border Bring Katyusha's greeting May he remember this simple maiden And hear her singing May he save our motherland And love, Katyusha will save”(Source: Катюша / Katyusha / Katyusha lyrics and translations)Irrespective of the military context, I was relieved when I learned the Russian message of the song. At least Katyusha was safe!It so happens that we have the same song in Finnish — just that in our version poor Katyusha falls in love with a cossack who then leaves her, and Katyusha ends up drowning herself in the river that keeps flowing to the sea forever. It’s a beautiful version, but very tragic.Despite all this, I like to hear my name in that song. The diminutive form makes it sound very cute and soft, it’s wonderfully Russian, and it reminds me of how my granny used to call me Katjuska when I was little.Some good friends still do.This is the cutest performance of the song that I’ve ever heard.